- Jarvis Offutt
Infobox Military Person
name= Jarvis Jennes Offutt
born= birth date|1894|10|26
died= death date and age|1918|8|13|1894|10|26
placeofbirth=Omaha,Nebraska
placeofdeath=Valheureux,France
caption=
nickname=
allegiance=United States of America
serviceyears=1916-18
rank=First Lieutenant
branch=Army Air Service
commands=
unit=No. 56 Squadron RAF (attached)
battles=
awards=
relations=
laterwork=First Lieutenant Jarvis Jennes Offutt (October 26 ,1894 –August 13 ,1918 ) was an aviator from Omaha,Nebraska who died inWorld War I .Offutt Air Force Base is named in his honor.Biography
Early life
Offutt was born in Omaha, Nebraska on
October 26 ,1894 . He attendedOmaha Central High School and graduated from the Lawrenceville Preparatory School in 1913. He graduated fromYale University in 1917; while at Yale, he was a member of the Varsity Club, Glee Club, [http://www.yaletoday.com/adphi/ Alpha Delta Phi] fraternity, and was a Y track man, winning his honors in the high hurdles. He was also inducted into thePhi Beta Kappa Society , an organization which recognizes high academic achievement.Military career
In 1916, while still at Yale, Offutt served as a company supply sergeant for the Yale Field Artillery on a summer deployment to Tobyhanna,
Pennsylvania . Later in 1916, he entered officer training atFort Snelling, Minnesota , but after a month he asked to be transferred to aviation. He was one of 300 candidates sent from the United States toCanada to be trained by the Royal Canadian Flying Corps. He went with them to Fort Worth,Texas , where he received his commission as aFirst Lieutenant in theAviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps in November 1916.In January 1917 he went to
England for further training, after which he was assigned duties as a ferry pilot attached to theRoyal Air Force . As a ferry pilot, his duties were to deliveraircraft from factories in England to bases at the front inFrance . In the course of these duties, he crossed theEnglish Channel almost daily.Death and afterward
Offutt died on
August 13 ,1918 from injuries received while flying at Valheureux, France. It is unknown whether his death resulted from enemy action or from an aircraft accident.On
May 10 ,1924 the landing field atFort Crook , nearOmaha, Nebraska , was renamed Offutt Field in his honor. The dedication ceremony, attended by Offutt's mother and brother, featured an aerial salute from 19 planes which circled the field; then-Major (United States) Charles Tinker commanded seven of the planes which flew fromFort Riley ,Kansas and dropped a dedicatorywreath to highlight the ceremony.On
January 13 ,1948 both the airfield and Fort Crook were renamedOffutt Air Force Base .References
*Hansen, SSgt A.I. (ed.). OAFBP 210-2:The History of Fort Crook (1888)/Offutt Air Force Base (1976). Offutt AFB, NE: 3902 Air Base Wing, 1981.
Persondata
NAME=Offutt, Jarvis
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Aviator
DATE OF BIRTH=October 26 1894
PLACE OF BIRTH=Omaha, Nebraska ,United States
DATE OF DEATH=August 13 1918
PLACE OF DEATH=Valheureux,France
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